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Overview

River District House Rental Photos and Description

House, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, (Sleeps 8)

Spacious old Florida house, one level, long ranch-style, with cypress wood walls. Large living room with cathedral ceiling and wood burning fireplace. Adjoining porch surrounded by jalousie windows with view of shady, private, fenced back yard. Porch door opens onto concrete terrace for barbecuing and relaxing.

Compact but complete kitchen opens into living room through a bar pass-through so the cook can be part of the party. Large, private master bedroom with king size bed and bath at end of hall. Two additional bedrooms and one bath along hall - 1 large bedroom sleeps four (dorm style with two twin beds and one double bed) and 1 smaller bedroom with a comfy king size bed.

Perfect central location for exploring the Bradenton/Sarasota area and central Florida, then retreating back to this quiet neighborhood near the Manatee river that's great for walking and biking. You can send the kids to the park a block away to play ball. Fifteen minutes to Gulf Beaches, less than five minutes to grocery shopping and downtown Bradenton with the Village of the Arts.

Kitchen is fully furnished with huge cookbook collection and plenty of dishes; flat screen TV in living room, TV in master bedroom, cable and WiFi internet. A well behaved dog is welcome and safe in the fenced back yard, but please leave your cats at home.

This home is cozy and casual. It's not too big for two people but can accommodate eight comfortably. From the porch or master bedroom you can see the tropical fenced backyard, or pull the curtains for complete privacy. This location is quiet & peaceful and 2 blocks from the Manatee river. It's very convenient for access to shopping, local beaches, and area attractions.

This is a non-smoking home, thank you.

Keywords: Family friendly, convenient location, quiet neighborhood, shady, private fenced-in back yard. In the River District, with good biking and walking.

About The Owner

Peggy is a Bradenton native who grew up in this house from the time it was built in 1952. After college she moved to a northern Vermont farmhouse where she and her husband, Dennis, raised their family and still live. Peggy is the director of the county historical museum and the family operates a mail order Christmas wreath business. Dennis is a blacksmith, ski patroller and town lister. Peggy inherited this house when her mother died in 2006. Her mother collected cookbooks and enjoyed entertaining her friends with good food and good company. We hope our guests will carry on this fine tradition!

The Owner purchased this house in 1952

Why The Owner chose Bradenton

Our family wants to keep this second home as a welcome retreat from winters in Vermont; it's our base in Florida to sail, kayak and swim, and to connect with old friends and family. It's a great house with wonderful memories and good energy. This is also our piece of Florida where we've planted avocado and orange trees to enjoy for years to come.

What makes this house unique

This house is cozy and casual; not too big for two people, but can comfortably accommodate eight. From the porch or the master bedroom you can see the tropical, fenced backyard or pull the curtains for complete privacy. This location is quiet and peaceful, with good walking and biking along the river. It's also very convenient to shopping, the beach, and area attractions.

Guestbook comments from the manager

We love it here in the “Day House.” Everything is so cozy, child friendly and quiet in this neighborhood and Bradenton is beautiful. We fell in love with the Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach farther towards Cortez. We loved watching the sunsets and swimming in the 80 degree heat. We ate dinner at the Star Fish Company in Cortez and the Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Cortez. Yum. We also visited DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg. Very beautiful beaches, with lots of walking and biking. We enjoyed bike rides from this house to the Robinson Nature Preserve and back (about 16 miles round trip.) Thank you for the accommodations. We hope to be back next February.

(3 traveler reviews)

This is a keeper!

I needed a place to de-stress from a job that I retired from and this home did it! I cannot say enough good things about this home - it has a very large living room and dining/enclosed porch area, and for me, a nice small kitchen with everything in easy reach, the house is spacious and clean - more than enough room. If I had a question, the owner (Peggy) responded very quickly. I really enjoyed talking with her and hearing of the history of the house when I first arrived. I planned to stay 3 weeks and was very excited to be there. The description of the rental was right on, no surprises.

Peaches is a nice, homey restaurant with numerous locations throughout the county and island.

The backyard is fenced which I needed for my small dogs (they enjoyed their vacation, too).

The house is in the perfect location - a couple blocks from the River that made for a nice walk each morning; a short driving distance to Anna Maria Island and beautiful beaches and attractions,in close proximity to the airport and to Sarasota, lots of shopping (especially antiques and thrift stores) - what more could anybody ask for?

I could go on and on, I highly recommend this vacation.

Submitted: Nov 8, 2013

Stayed: Jun 2013

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: I'm so glad you enjoyed your vacation, and felt comfortable in the house. It is good place, and I can't wait to get back there myself.

Owners who are easy to deal with, very helpful and knowledgable of area

Reasonably priced

Convenient ot excellent restaurants and grocery stores if want to eat in

Greeted with Gelveta coffee

A.C. units get nice and cold

While not a big kitchen, a well stocked one for cooking

What the problems are:

Unfortunately "old Florida" meant old everything

One bicycle with huge holes in seat and one bicycle with only one working brake

Furniture that is worn and uncomfortable

Mattresses that are hard

Pillows that are thin and sheets that are thinner (thread count felt like 100, maybe)

Toilet paper thinner than the sheets

One bathroom shower had more water spray from the faucets than the showerhead

Bathrooms are very, very tiny

Bedrooms and beds smelled musty

Three different kinds of roaches and large spiders found in one bath and one bedroom (and I'm from Florida and am used to a few bugs)

Some restaurants we enjoyed:

Peaches for breakfast

Rod and Reel on pier on Ana Maria Island

Sandollar for sunset on Ana Maria beach

Columbia on St. Armand's Circle for lunch

Hickory Hollow for the best bar-b-que ever!

Ringling complex - home, circus and art museums and grounds are a must see

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota

Ana Maria beach one of the most beautiful we've ever seen

Salvador Dali Museum in St. Pete

Gamble Antebellum Mansion

Stroll through historic neighborhood in Bradenton and Palmetto, across the river

Bicycle along Riverview Drive

Submitted: Oct 27, 2012

Stayed: Oct 2012

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The house was built in 1952, when bathrooms were small. It has not been "updated". It is clean, comfortable, and family friendly. If you are looking for the modern house in a new development, this is not the place for you. The above reviewer, when she contacted us, had said she was attracted by the old house with an attic fan, so she should have known that if you open the windows and turn on the fan you can change all the air in the house in an hour. She also asked to use our bikes. One has a woman's seat, which has a well placed hole in the middle, and does have one tear, and it will be replaced. The house is regularly sprayed for bugs. Our family prefers firm mattresses, Scott toilet paper, and cotton sheets. There are so many pillows in the house, with a variety of thicknesses and shapes, you can find the one to your liking. The furniture is not new, but comfortable, and not worn. Our house has old Florida character, good energy, great location, and plenty of space. If you are looking for "new Florida", please look elsewhere.

Home away from home!

My family and I recently stayed @ this wonderful home. The home is so cozy. Our group consisted of 6 adults and 2 children. We had ample room and were very comfortable. There was plenty of sleeping space and seating so we never felt crowded. There was something for everyone to do. My children played board games, my mother, grandmother, and I read from the collection of books (local history, novels, and cookbooks), my brother used the wifi, my husband relaxed in a recliner and watched TV, my dad walked around the yard. The yard is beautiful...we loved sitting outback at the patio while enjoying the tropical plants and trees. We used the grill and ate together in the large screened dinner area. The kitchen is well stocked with dishes and utensils; there wasnt anything I needed to prepare a meal that wasnt provided. Peggy was extremely helpful and provided me with lots of information and suggestions for the local area. The home is very close to the beach, Publix, and many other stores and restaurants but is set back away from the hustle and bustle. We would love to stay here again next year. Thank you Peggy!

Map

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Spring Training at McKechnie Field in Bradenton; Baltimore Orioles Baseball Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The Village of the Arts; South Florida Museum and Art Center Manatee are all right here, a couple minutes away in the City of Bradenton.